Bar Catches The Wave Of Surfers And Skateboarders

August 17, 2005|By Liza Hearon Staff Writer

Wednesdays have become the most exciting day of the week for Josh Weiner.

Escaping the doldrums of his 9-to-5 job, the 29-year-old graphic designer has discovered a much better kind of weekly grind: skateboarding, in a bar, surrounded by fellow amateurs, enthusiasts and a few pros.

Weiner is a regular at Bump and Grind on Wednesdays at Automatic Slims in Fort Lauderdale. The night's main attraction is a 6-foot-high half-pipe ramp dominating the front of the club, a sight to see for Las Olas Riverfront patrons. As the young, local and mostly male crowd knocks back $2 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, skaters tear up the ramp to a blaring mix of classic rock, hip-hop and alternative rock, with skate videos projected onto a screen.

"It was common in the '80s, but now there are only two bars in South Florida who do something like this," says Weiner, referring to a Thursday night skate party at Pawn Shop Lounge in Miami. "It's just about the scene, meeting people, hanging out."

By the ramp, a group of grungy, sweaty guys wait their turn, talking up a gaggle of skinny girls in flip-flops. This crowd doesn't make much use of the roped-off VIP section, its glimmering bottles at the ready. They prefer their beer cheap and their Beastie Boys and Nirvana loud.

"This is the best place ever. The crowd is the best, there's a chill atmosphere and no dress code," says Alex Samier, 20, a professional skater.

"The skate crowd was not being catered to. We went to Red Bull for sponsorship, and had a kid from the X Games measure the ramp. DC Shoe Company sponsored the first party. A home for skaters fits in with our rock concept," he says.

It has worked so well that a skate ramp is being incorporated into the design of a new Automatic Slims set to open in Orlando by the end of the year, says Coner. The club also is looking to expand to Tampa, Las Vegas, Boston and Chicago.

"There's nowhere else where you can skate for free until 4 a.m.," Coner says.

Anyone is welcome to skate, after signing a liability waiver. Skaters younger than 21 can participate if a shoe or clothing company is sponsoring them. If they are younger than 18, they must have a parent or guardian sign the waiver. The skaters receive a free case of Red Bull to share during the evening.

The ramp is put up, broken down and stored every Wednesday night.

On Thursdays, the club throws a surf-themed party along with BC Surf & Sport shop in Fort Lauderdale. The night features promotions and giveaways from surf companies such as Reef and Quicksilver, and sometimes a mechanical surfboard.

"Fort Lauderdale has created a scene for surfers and skaters," says Andy Scheer, who runs Stoked Entertainment, which promotes the skate and surf parties.

Scheer's friend Andres Escarte is a regular. "Automatic Slims is the place to be in Fort Lauderdale; I'm here at least three nights a week," says Escarte, pausing to do a shot as AC/DC blasts in the background.

Sitting next to him at the bar is Florida Atlantic University student Nicole Walach, 21. "Tonight and ladies night on Thursdays are the best nights here," she says. "But there are about five girls to every six guys."

In the upstairs pool table area of the club, the main attraction isn't the skating.

"I like the skate ramp, but I just think the place is cool," says Andrea Gomez, 24, a bar manager from Chicago who was visiting friends. "It fits Fort Lauderdale -- it's more laid back rather than posh."